I love sitting down to watch a globe-trotting adventure film as much as the next James Bond enthusiast, but I’m equally excited to have my tendency to ‘seat squirm’ tested when a movie keeps it simple: one set, one location, minimal cast. Onstage, we readily accept it because of the confines of the physical space, but in movies, it’s a more complicated concept to grasp because our brain is wired to understand that the possibilities are endless. Still, several incredibly creepy thrillers relied heavily on confined spaces that keep terror in and safety out. Think of classics like 1954’s Rear Window and 1967’s Wait Until Dark, two films with some of the best final acts if you want to trim your nails via teeth.

In the tradition of these taut thrillers, You’ll Never Find Me echoes the claustrophobic tension of Hitchcock and the intimate terror of minimalist underground indies that have sent goosebumps up even the sturdiest spines. Directed by Josiah Allen and Indianna Bell, this Australian entry (Down Under is, ahem, killing it lately with horror, amIright?) is a masterful blend of psychological suspense and haunting intrigue. Doling out clues to its destination in riveting bursts, it’s a puzzle with tiny pieces that are almost impossible to construct fully before it arrives at its satisfying finale.

A late-night knock on his door abruptly shatters the solitude of a lonely man in an isolated trailer park. Sitting at his kitchen table, he first tells the person to leave. Still, with a downpour raging, the repeated drumming of knuckles, and a woman’s call for assistance, his help is very necessary, so he opens it to find The Visitor (Jordan Cowan). Drenched and shoeless, she was caught in the rain and lost her way. At first, Patrick (Brendan Rock) is wary of the woman standing dripping wet in his entryway, but eventually, kindness wins out, and he offers her shelter, food, and warmth.

That’s when the cat and mouse game between the two officially begins, and our sorting out of who is the most dangerous. Why has The Visitor knocked on his door, though? Where was she before she arrived? Her answers conflict, or has she just misspoken?  Then again, why does he have a wall filled with trinkets that feel innately personal to those not present? That tea she’s being given, could it be drugged? How about that soup? Why does The Visitor ask so many personal questions? With each passing moment, the lines between reality and a growing nightmare begin to blur, and trust becomes a luxury neither can afford for much longer.

Directors Allen and Bell (who also wrote the screenplay) extract maximum impact from the compact setting, creating a palpable sense of dread that will keep audiences guessing until the end. The film’s cinematography from Maxx Corkindale makes the tiny trailer and its various rooms feel bigger than they are, and special mention has to be made of the sound design from Duncan Campbell, which elevates the eerie atmosphere to new heights. Along with Rock’s melancholic performance that rides a razor’s edge of understated intensity, Cowan’s enigmatic work maintains the central mystery by shading the uneasy twists she introduces with complexity.

Rather than relying on cheap thrills and jump scares in its finale, where lesser films falter, You’ll Never Find Me remains consistent in its commitment to delivering a memorable experience for the viewer. Deliberately paced for its 96 minutes but never slow, its sharp characters draw you in quickly and trap you before you know what’s happened. Exploring isolation and mistrust with impeccable execution, this is a taut thriller you’ll want to track down as soon as possible.